BARNSTAPLE-based J+S Ltd has been awarded a £1m contract for the sonar upgrade of ships operated by the Dutch and Belgian navies.

The company will design and supply four ship sets of sonar transducers for the Defence Materiel Organisation of the Royal Netherlands Navy. The transducers will be installed on the M-Class frigates operated by the Dutch and Belgian navies.

It is hoped that options for further ship sets for the M-class frigates operated by the Chilean and Portuguese navies will be taken up next year.

J+S Ltd has been supplying transducer products to the Royal Navy for many years, but the award of this contract continues a trend of recent successes in the export market. In the last two years the company has delivered more than £1.5m of transducer orders to overseas customers.

David Jeffries, managing director of J+S, said: "The award of this contract is highly significant since it represents a major export refit order won against tough competition. In recent years we have increased our focus on the export markets to compensate in part for the reduced spending on naval support activities in the UK market. While our early successes in the export markets tended to be based on refit programmes on vessels sold pursuant to the Royal Navy fleet disposal programmes, we are now achieving success in the wider market place."

A spokesman for the DMO said: "I am delighted to announce that J+S has been awarded this contract which was won against international competition. The development, production and support programme offered by them meets all our requirements and provides excellent value for money. J+S has enormous experience of designing and delivering transducers for naval customers and we look forward to working with them."

J+S Ltd operates from sites at Barnstaple and Aberdeen, employing 120 people on a range of engineering and production activities, primarily in naval support and sub-sea asset management for the North Sea oil and gas exploration markets. The company also supplies sub-sea connectivity solutions to the wave and tidal sectors of the Marine Renewable Energy market.

Thales Nederland today announces that it has received a contract for two Seastar and Gatekeeper sensors, that are to be delivered and installed on the two multi-purpose M-class frigates of the Belgian Navy. The modernisation will take place in 2011 and 2013 in the scope of the M-frigates' upkeep programme.

The Seastar and Gatekeeper sensors provide the vessels with the capability to detect small targets encountered during missions, and to counter frontier-running, pollution, drugs trafficking and piracy. The two new sensors will be matched with the tried-and-true SMART-S surveillance radar and the STIR weapon control radar that are on board of the M-frigates.

Based on the cooperation between the Dutch and the Belgian Navy, this contract was already an option in the contract that Thales concluded in 2008 with the Royal Netherlands Navy, and that provided for the delivery of the Seastar and Gatekeeper sensors to the two M-class frigates of the RNLN.

Seastar is a non-rotating active phased array radar for naval surface surveillance. The system automatically detects and tracks asymmetric threats and very small objects such as swimmers and periscopes in all weather conditions. Seastar can also be used for helicopter guidance. Seastar is internationally marketed as Sea Watcher 100.

Gatekeeper is a 360° panoramic electro-optical surveillance and alerter system based on IR/TV technology. Designed to counter emerging asymmetric threats down to small boats and swimmers, Gatekeeper increases short-range situational awareness in littoral environments.

The Dutch Ministry of Defence (MoD) has revealed plans to modernise the Royal Netherlands Navy's (RNLN) Tactical Data Link Systems (TDLSs) in order to increase its NATO Network Enabled Capability (NNEC) maturity levels.

According to a Request for Quotations (RfQ), released by the Netherlands Defence Materiel Organisation Procurement Branch (DMOPB) on 20 April, all ‘main’ RNLN platforms will be equipped with Link 11 and 22 TDLSs. Command and control (C2) and sensor and weapon equipped ships contributing to Anti-Air Warfare (AAW) are also scheduled to carry Link 16 TDLS.

Responses to the RfQ are expected by 17 June and a contract, worth an undisclosed sum, is due to be awarded on 1 September this year.

More specifically, the contract is looking to equip a landing platform dock, four multipurpose frigates (MF), four patrol ships and joint support ship with Link 11/16/22 TDLSs and data forwarding capabilities; as well as an Auxiliary Oiler Replenisher and four submarines with Link 11 and 22 TDLSs.

DB also understands that two Belgian and two Portuguese MFs, procured from the Netherlands, and three Portuguese Vasco da Gama class frigates must also meet also be fitted out with the same capability.

According to the Netherlands DMOPB, the objective of the requirement is to ‘explicitly define the technical performance and design requirements for the TDLS to ensure a reliable, robust and interoperable exchange of tactical data with national/coalition units, as well as ease of operation and maintenance’.

NATO’s Link 22, designed to replace Link 11, provides a secure Beyond Line-of-Sight communications system allowing ground, air, surface and sub-surface assets to exchange tactical data. Original participating nations which signed the Memorandum of Understanding included Canada, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the UK. It is also interoperable with Link 16.

The RfQ described the MoD’s desire for a commercial or military off-the-shelf (COTS/MOTS) solution allowing the exchange of TDLS information and use of the Combat Management System to receive and transmit Link 11/22/16 messages; Maritime C2 Information System to receive Link 11 and 22; and data forwarding up to NATO STANAG 5616.

TDLSs must also allow data exchange with ‘external media’ such as USB memory sticks and CD/DVD readers and recorders; provide autonomous operation for at least five minutes during a power failure; and be fully interoperable with existing C2 processors and common data link management systems aboard Dutch air defence and command frigates; as well as existing Link 11 and 16 systems on board Dutch air frames.

MF ships due to be upgraded between October 2012 and December 2014 include RNLN’s Hr Ms Van Amstel and Van Speijk and the Belgian BNS Leopold I. Portuguese MFs include the NRP Bartolomeu Dias. Dutch submarines will be upgraded between 2013 and 2017 and will include Hr Ms Walrus, Zeeleeuw, Dolfijn and Bruinvis.

The Dutch Defence Materiel Organization and Thales Nederland signed a contract this month for the delivery of one additional Gatekeeper electro-optic surveillance system. This system will be installed on the Netherlands' Navy's HrMs Amsterdam as a part of an extensive upkeep programme. Gatekeeper is scheduled to be delivered in the second half of 2011.

In the changing tasks of modern navies, fast combat support ships are also participating in maritime security operations, like the current anti-piracy missions of NATO and the EU. The increased situational awareness provided by Gatekeeper has become necessary for a safe operation during such operations as Gatekeeper provides a continuous fully automatic surveillance and alerting function in daylight as well as at night and during all kinds of weather.

The four Gatekeeper modules are not mounted in one dedicated mast but will be incorporated in the ship's existing superstructure, with three modules in the front of the ship and one in the back.

Gerben Edelijin, CEO of Thales Nederland says: “ We are very proud of the trust the Royal Netherlands Navy puts in the Gatekeeper's capabilities as this is the ninth Gatekeeper system under contract for them.“

Gatekeeper

Gatekeeper is a 360° panoramic surveillance and automatic alerting system based on IR/TV technology. It provides short-range situational awareness and ship security both at sea and in port 24/7 without crew on deck. Not only will this significantly reduce manpower requirements it is intrinsically safer and offers a less aggressive posture to the outside world. Gatekeeper will even increase situational awareness compared to human observers as it is not susceptible to fatigue and works better under low-light conditions or in adverse weather.

Gatekeeper is a very flexible and easy to install system, because of its modular sensor heads that can easily be integrated on existing and new-build ships, either stand-alone or as part of the Thales I-MAST configurations. Gatekeeper is presently under contract for the four Netherlands' Navy's Holland class patrol ships, the Joint Support Ship, the Johan de Witt class LPD and the four Belgium and Netherlands Navy's M-class frigates.

Gouda - Imtech (technical services provider in Europe and on the global marine market) has received new orders for new and existing ships from the Royal Netherlands and Belgian navies worth over 28 million euro. Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding (Vlissingen, the Netherlands), builder of the new logistic support ship `Karel Doorman` of the Royal Netherlands Navy, granted Imtech the contract for the design, production, delivery and implementation of various technological solutions on board this Joint Support Ship (JSS). Imtech also obtained orders for a technological upgrade of the Royal Netherlands Navy`s supply vessel `Hr. Ms. Amsterdam` dating from 1995 and a technological upgrade of two M-class frigates owned by the Belgian Navy.

René van der Bruggen, CEO Imtech: `Imtech is one of the strongest technology players on the global market for naval vessels and works for many navies. Contracts like the new logistic support ship `Karel Doorman` are important to us. Not just in terms of continuity, but also as a base for global export of innovative technologies. The close co-operation with clients such as the Royal Netherlands Navy, Damen and other players in the maritime chain enables us to display our knowledge and skills and demonstrates our technological innovations again and again. That is why we have been awarded orders from among others the Turkish, Moroccan, Singaporean and South Korean navies. This has a positive impact on Dutch employment and confirms the important position of the Dutch maritime industry in the global maritime playing field.`

Technology for the Royal Netherlands Navy`s Joint Support Ship `Karel Doorman`The new logistic support ship `Karel Doorman`, also called a Joint Support Ship (JSS), will replace the supply ship `Hr. Ms. Zuiderkruis` which dates from 1975. With a water displacement of nearly 28,000 tons and measuring 205 metres in length, this is one of the biggest naval ships ever built in the Netherlands. The contract will be officially signed by Damen Schelde Naval Shipbuilding and Imtech this afternoon at the NIDV congress (the Netherlands Industry Association for Defence and Security) in Rotterdam. The vessel`s primary tasks involve supplying Dutch naval ships and/or the fleet with which it is operating and transporting heavy and/or special equipment to support land operations from the sea. Furthermore, the vessel can also be used for humanitarian relief operations and civil assignments such as disaster relief. In total, the ship can accommodate 300 crew members. The ship has a helicopter deck for two helicopters, a loading and unloading facility for landing crafts and various radar, communication and defence systems. Imtech is responsible for the platform automation (the heart of the ship), the fully automated integrated bridge, the majority of the power supply and various electrical and communication solutions. The ship will be delivered to the Royal Netherlands Navy in 2014.

Technological upgrade of `Hr. Ms. Amsterdam` for the Royal Netherlands NavyWith a contract from the Defence Material Organisation, Imtech is upgrading the hardware and software of the existing platform automation on board the Royal Netherlands Navy`s supply vessel `Hr. Ms. Amsterdam` dating from 1995. This involves the replacement of computers, the inclusion of new fibre-optic technology and the implementation of new processors as well as measurement and control solutions, which will include appropriate new and faster software. This will significantly improve the ship`s platform functionality. The project will be completed in 2012.

Technological upgrade of two M-class frigates for the Belgian navyFor the Belgian navy, Imtech is providing the technological upgrade of an existing integrated control and monitoring system on board two M-(multipurpose) class frigates. The entire system, consisting of numerous linked computer systems distributed throughout the ships which control and monitor all the platform technology on board, is being replaced by a new state-of-the-art version. The first ship will be ready in 2012 and the second in 2014.

Imtech: strong player in global marine marketIn the global marine market, Imtech (Imtech Marine) generates a revenue of over 500 million euro with around 2,500 employees. This makes it one of the maritime market`s strongest players and an independent full-service provider of integral solutions for platform automation, propulsion (including electrical propulsion), energy generation and distribution, communication/navigation, integrated ships` bridges, HVAC (air and climate) technology and multimedia/entertainment. Imtech Marine operates global and has a worldwide service network of over 70 branches in 23 countries along all the world`s major shipping routes and near important shipbuilding centres..

Thales has been awarded a contract from the Defence Materiel Organisation (DMO) of the Netherlands Ministry of Defence to supply APX* radar electronic support measures (RESM) systems to the navies of the Netherlands and Belgium. The contract, which is part of a wider modernisation agreement between the two navies, will supply four APX systems for the M-Class frigates.

The new APX system offers a low-risk, cost-effective and high-performance solution utilising a combination of the latest advanced analogue and digital receivers, with world- leading signal processing and identification algorithms. The APX system will provide significantly improved situational awareness, threat warning and intelligence gathering capabilities to these modern operational fleets. The technology originates from Thales UK’s Crawley facility.

Gerben Edelijn, Chief Executive Officer, Thales Nederland BV, says: “This contract will see Thales deliver a mature and flexible RESM solution to the Netherlands and Belgium navies, reinforcing the strong links between Thales and these two navies. Thales is committed to the success of the programme and is looking forward to working closely with both navies to deliver this capability.”

Thales was selected earlier this year to supply its Seastar and Gatekeeper sensors for the modernisation of the two multi-purpose M-class frigates of the Belgian Navy. The new sensors will be fitted alongside existing Thales equipment such as the SMART-S surveillance radar, the STIR weapon control radar, the LW08 search radar and the Goalkeeper close-in weapon system that already equip the M-class frigates.

----* APX notionally stands for Advanced Processing eXtensions. The APX solution is provided with the latest Digital Signal Processing solution, in the Digital Receivers, and the latest Data Processing Solutions in the Deinterleaving and Emitter Identification engines. However, the product name is APX.